rs117328143 (IFNGR1-OLIG3): Adolescent Cognition

Key takeaways

• rs117328143 is in the IFNGR1-OLIG3 region, examined in a genome-wide cognitive study of 4,611 adolescents.
• No single variant in the study, including this one, reached the standard bar for statistical significance.
• Working memory is roughly 30% explained by common genetic variants; processing speed is roughly 19%.
• Working memory shares significant genetic overlap with general intelligence and academic attainment.
• Evidence at this locus is preliminary with no replication reported.

What the research says A genome-wide association study (GWAS, a method that scans millions of DNA positions across a large group of people to find statistical links between genetic variants and traits) of 4,611 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children tested for associations between common genetic variants and latent measures of working memory (WM, the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind), processing speed (PS), and inhibitory control (IC, resisting impulses and interference). No individual locus, including this one, reached the p < 5 x 10^-8 threshold conventionally required to call a GWAS result significant. Common variants as a group nonetheless accounted for approximately 30% of WM variance and 19% of PS variance, a pattern consistent with a polygenic architecture, meaning many variants each contribute a small effect rather than any single variant dominating.

Reported associations

• Working memory: Common genetic variants collectively explained approximately 30% of variance in a latent WM factor; no individual SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism, a one-letter DNA difference between people) reached genome-wide significance (n=4,611 adolescents).
• Processing speed: Common variants explained approximately 19% of PS variance in the same sample; no individual SNP reached significance.
• Inhibitory control: No significant common-variant contribution to IC was detected in this sample; the study authors note this may reflect a different genetic architecture or insufficient statistical power.
• General intelligence: Working memory showed a significant genetic correlation with general intelligence; processing speed showed a more modest genetic overlap with intelligence.
• Academic attainment: Working memory showed a significant genetic correlation with academic attainment; a comparable relationship was not clearly observed for processing speed.

Evidence quality All findings derive from a single GWAS of 4,611 adolescents from the ALSPAC UK birth cohort. No individual SNP, including rs117328143, crossed the p < 5 x 10^-8 genome-wide significance threshold. SNP heritability (the fraction of a trait's variance attributable to common genetic variants) was approximately 30% for WM and 19% for PS; no significant SNP heritability was detected for IC. No external replication cohort is described in the available study text. Because the key findings involve aggregate polygenic signals rather than confirmed single-variant effects, and because no replication has been reported, all associations at this locus must be treated as preliminary and exploratory. No PMID was available for this study at time of writing, which also limits independent verification.

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.